Seven good reasons to get on your bike.

Like some people I lead a hectic life and don't have very much free time to go to the health club to raise my physical fitness. I've always enjoyed cycling outside and I acknowledge the health and fitness benefits I could gain from cycling but bad weather conditions, heavy traffic and traffic fumes often put me off. A better option I considered would be to look into a piece of equipment I could use at home and believed a stationary exercise bike to be a great choice. After investing much time and effort taking a look at the best alternatives around and what would be probably the most appropriate bike for me, I chose a relatively fancy Proform model costing £300. After 6 months it ended up as a rather fancy, high priced clothes horse.

What exactly is it that keeps us inspired to maintain a physical fitness regime? I glanced around at my clothes bike after watching a news item on the recent Tour de France and made the decision I needed to revisit the motive why I chose to invest so much money on the bike and to get me back on it. This is what I came up with:

1)Shed excess weight: an individual who weighs 12½ stone can burn up 650 calories by cycling for 1 hour, and will tone the legs and bottom in the process.

2)Strengthen heart and cardiovascular system: any cardio vascular exercise such as cycling will enhance the role of the heart. Cycling is excellent as it can train the heart to get stronger which results in much less stress on the heart. The risk factors that result in a heart attack can be lowered by regular cycling and that means you are 50% less prone to have a heart attack.

3)Strengthen muscles and joints: as we get older the strength of our muscles reduces and our muscles begin to shrink. Cycling activates each of the body's muscles, and because the muscles hold together the skeletal system, strengthening the muscle groups supports and protects the skeleton. Cycling could also avert slipped discs by stimulating the muscles in the lower back and as a non weight bearing exercise, cycling does not affect and damage the joints in the hips and knees.

4)Improve the immune system: cycling will help strengthen the immune system and contributes to a healthy life. Moderate activity such as cycling can increase immune response to tumour cells and prevent other ailments.

5)Mental health: cycling has a relaxing influence because of its uniform and cyclical motion. Stabilising the physical and psychological activities of the body by cycling can serve to decrease anxiety, depression and mental stress.

6)Looking good: Cycling improves body shape, however it also improves the condition of the skin as the improvement in metabolism and circulation can help carry nutrients to the skin and carry away impurities. Cycling also helps boost your notion of yourself which influences how individuals see you.

7)Reduce blood pressure: cycling can help to decrease your blood pressure which in turn may help to prevent a stroke as well as other conditions.

So, along with improving physical fitness and stamina, cycling incorporates a wealth of other wellbeing benefits. Naturally there is nothing like the open road, but a stationary exercise bike can be used any time of day and in any weather, without the worry of inhaling traffic fumes. You can ride safely while listening to tunes or watching your favourite TV programmes, and never have to be concerned about getting knocked off. It's time to get back again on the bike, and establish some physical exercise into my day-to-day routine.

Stationary exercise bikes for fitness training and health benefits